Wednesday, July 1, 2015

At 3:45 am Saturday, 16 May 2015 the Conference
Of the Parties (COPs) to the Basel (COP 12), Rotterdam (COP 7) and Stockholm (COP
7)Conventionsofficially closed in Geneva, Switzerland following
two weeks of intense negotiations and several hours after the Triple COPs, as
they are known, were scheduled to end on Friday.

I among almost 1,200 participants, composed
of government delegates and observers from 171 countries, followed the
negotiations on regulations of hazardous chemicals and waste. Many of us were
hopeful that more hazardous chemicals would be placed under the global watch of
the conventions, particularly the Stockholm
and Rotterdam Conventions that regulate the toxic
chemicals listed in their Annexes, bearing in mind that the primary objective
of the conventions is to protect human health and the environment.

However, the conventions operate largely by
consensus among the parties, and just one party can prevent the listing of additional
substances to the conventions. As it turned out, some countries opposing new
listings of toxic substances did not offer a justification in accordance with
the objectives of the conventions.

At COP 7 of the Stockholm Convention, which
targets persistent organic pollutants (POPs) for global elimination,India opposed the addition of the pesticide pentachlorophenol
(PCP) to the convention’ list and questioned the recommendation for listing made
by the POPs Review Committee (POPRC),
the scientific body of the convention. By the end of the second week after
talks had been exhausted, COP 7 resorted to a vote, the first time in the
convention’s history, and decided to list PCP and its salts and esters to Annex
A of the convention with a time-limited exemption for utility poles and
crossarms.

PCP is a ubiquitous global contaminant that
has been found in breast milk, blood, amniotic fluid, and other human tissues
throughout the world, including Indigenous peoples of the Arctic. It is associated with increased risk of certain
cancers such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

COP 7 of the Stockholm Convention also agreed
to list the industrial chemicals
hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) to Annex A without exemptions, and polychlorinated
naphtalenes (PCNs) to Annex A with a time-limited exemption for use as
intermediates in the production of polyfluorinated naphtalenes, including
octafluoronaphtalene.

COP 7 of the Rotterdam Convention failed to reach an
agreement to apply international trade regulations to dangerous pesticides

Of the pesticides proposed for listing at
COP 7 only methamidophos was added in Annex III to the Rotterdam Convention,
which regulates trade of hazardous chemicals on the principle of Prior Informed
Consent

In addition, parties deliberated on the listing
of the formulation fenthion ultra-low volume (ULV) at or above 640 g active
ingredient/L as a Severely Hazardous Pesticide Formulation (SHPF), the
herbicide paraquat dichloride 276 g/L as SHPF, and the active ingredient trichlorfon.

Sudan
opposed the listing of fenthion

Sudan’s government representative said that
adding fenthion to the Rotterdam Convention could decrease production of the
chemical and increase market prices. Fenthion is used in Sudan to kill
migratory birds that eat crops, such as millet and sorghum.

Other Sahel countries in the region having
the same problem are opting for gentler solutions. Mr.
Moussa Abderaman Abdoulaye, Chad’s delegate to the Rotterdam Convention said: “Fenthion
was used in Chad until 2011 to combat birds that eat cereals from farms.
However, the human health and environmental costs were enormous. Chad banned
it, began raising awareness on the toxicity of fenthion and promoting the use
of nets to trap birds that are also edible. The use of the nets do not threaten
the bird population, it provides food to rural communities, and a source of
protein and income.”

The proposal to add fenthion in Annex III
to the Rotterdam Convention was initially proposed by the Republic of Chad and later
reviewed and recommended for listing by the Chemical Review Committee (CRC)
of the Convention.

For the second time, paraquat dichloride
276 g/L was blocked
from being listed as a SHPF to the Rotterdam Convention. The countries opposing the listing were India,
Guatemala, Indonesia and Paraguay.

Baskut Tuncak, the UN Special
Rapporteur on human rights and hazardous substances said “it is legally and
morally unjustifiable for countries to continue to obstruct the listing of
asbestos and paraquat under the Rotterdam Convention.”

Two years earlier, at COP 6
in 2013 India and Guatemala, both manufacturers of paraquat formulations, blocked
this substance from being added to the convention. Guatemala expressed at COP 6
that listing paraquat would affect its exports in the region because countries could
take action and stop imports of this toxic chemical.

Burkina
Faso initially proposed that paraquat dichloride as SHPF be added to the
Rotterdam Convention because of the harm to human health and the environment
reported in the country. The CRC reviewed the proposal and recommended it for listing to
the COP.

The active ingredient Trichlorfon
was not added to the Rotterdam Convention

The
listing of the pesticide trichorfon to the Rotterdam Convention was blocked by
India.

Also,
the industrial chemical chrysotile asbestos, used to make rooftops in many
developing countries, for the 5th time was blocked from being listed
to the Rotterdam Convention. Belarus, Cuba, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Pakistan, Russia, and Zimbabwe opposed the listing.

The
effectiveness of the Rotterdam Convention is at stake

Parties
and observers attending the COPs questioned the effectiveness of the Rotterdam
Convention, whose mission has been undermined by seemingly commercial interests.

Malaysia’s
Ms. Fatimah Md. Anwar from the Pesticides Control Division of the Dept. of
Agriculture said “We question the effectiveness of the convention if
considerations of trade, availability of pesticides and market pricing
supersedes the importance of information sharing.”

Also, the undue pressure from the industry
was reported by Ecuador who asked that the meeting report reflect its
declaration that it has been approached by private sector representatives
seeking to persuade countries to oppose listing (re paraquat dichloride), which
was “unacceptable.”

Hopes
for listing additional hazardous chemicals

On the promising side, COP 7 of the
Rotterdam Convention decided to establish an inter-sessional
working group to review the cases where consensus on the listing of chemicals
was not achieved and to come up with a proposal to improve the effectiveness of
the convention. COP 8 in 2017 will decide on the options developed by the inter-sessional
working group.

Parties requested technical assistance and
support to identify alternatives to HHPs. Dr. Meriel Watts from Pesticide
Action Network said “This offers an opportunity for countries to implement
agroecological approaches and promote sustainable agriculture and rural
development.”

Overall the 2015 Triple COPs adopted over 50 decisions
and agreed to convene the next round of chemicals and waste COPs, with a high
level segment, in 2017.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

The enforcement of
an international mechanism for Prior Informed Consent when trading with a
dangerous herbicide, paraquat dichloride, was blocked by India, Guatemala, and Indonesia at the 7th Conference of the Parties
to the Rotterdam Convention.

“People in Africa
have felt the impact of paraquat dichloride and have paid dearly with their
health and lives. This acutely toxic chemical impairs people for life. Listing
paraquat dichloride 20% and above in the Rotterdam Convention would empower
governments in the exercise of their duty to protect human health and the
environment” said Dr. Paul Windinpsidi Savadogo, Director General of the
Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Developmentof
Burkina Faso. He added “This is a missed opportunity and it is regrettable that
a few countries prevented the majority from being able to take measures to
protect human health, particularly of farmers and agricultural workers, who are
the most exposed with this chemical.”

In 2010 Burkina
Faso proposed adding the herbicide paraquat dichloride 20% to the Rotterdam
Convention in order to have information about potential imports of this
herbicide and take pertinent measures, which could include placing restrictions
or banning. Burkina Faso reported serious health impacts linked to this
chemical among farmers. The scientific body of the Rotterdam Convention
reviewed Burkina
Faso’s proposal and recommended the inclusion of paraquat dichloride to the
convention.

Paraquat dichloride, an acutely toxic chemical

Omara Amuko, based
in Uganda, from the International Union of Food and Allied Workers Africa said “Paraquat dichloride has caused serious harm
to farmers and agricultural workers in Africa. This chemicals needs to be under
the scrutiny of governments, already CILSS countries have prohibited the use of
paraquat in the region.” The Permanent
Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS for its acronym in
French) banned paraquat in 2011.

“Paraquat dichloride
is an acutely toxic chemical that is used under high risk conditions in
developing countries. In India for instance, its use poses great health risks
to farmers and workers” said C. Jayakumar from PAN India.

Jayakumar was
referring to a new report
from India by PAN India and other groups that documented paraquat dichloride being
sold in plastic carrying bags, mixed with other ingredients such as shampoo, and
applied with leaking knapsack sprayers on crops where its use has not been
approved.

“The use of
paraquat is not allowed in Switzerland, the European Union and many other
countries” said Francois Meienberg from the Berne
Declaration. He added “Syngenta, the creator and main seller of paraquat,
currently makes profits from its sales to developing countries, knowing that
farmers and workers have no possibility to protect themselves adequately which
leads to high risk conditions of use and uncounted poisoning cases.”

India and Guatemala again blocked the inclusion of
paraquat dichloride to the Rotterdam Convention

The Conference of
the Parties (COPs) to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions met in in
Geneva on May 4-15, 2015 and
deliberated on the listing of new hazardous chemicals to the conventions. Paraquat
dichloride 20% and above was on the Rotterdam COP 7 agenda two years after COP 6
in 2013 failed to reach an agreement on its inclusion
to the
convention.Similar to COP 6, at COP 7, India
and Guatemala obstructed the inclusion of paraquat dichloride to the
convention. This time, Indonesia also joined them.

Most governments at
COP 7 of the Rotterdam Convention were in favor of adding this highly hazardous
pesticide to the Convention. The Prior Informed Consent procedure of the Convention
would allow governments to exchange information and more effectively control
the use of this chemical in order to protect the health of their most
vulnerable citizens.

Many government delegates attending the meeting in Geneva took
the floor to express concern that a handful of governments using the consensus
procedure under the convention prevented other countries from their right to
having information on trade of hazardous chemicals. They called for urgent
review of the rules of the Rotterdam Convention.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

The world is scrutinizing Monsanto’s popular weed killer, glyphosate,
classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans” by the cancer arm branch of the
World Health Organization (WHO).

On March 20, 2015 seventeen global health experts met at WHO’s
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) to discuss years of data
linking glyphosate and cancer in experimental animals, and concluded that it probably
causes cancer in humans as well. Four other organophosphate insecticides
also were evaluated.

IARC’s decision on glyphosate came on the heels of a study released by
scientists from New Zealand that linked the herbicides glyphosate, 2,4-D, and
dicamba to antibiotic
resistance in disease-causing bacteria, such as E. coli and Salmonella.

Widespread use of glyphosate
in Asia and around the world

Glyphosate, also known as Roundup
for its tradename with Monsanto, is the most common and heavily used herbicide
worldwide.

In Asia glyphosate is used in rubber, oil palm, sugar cane, tea, and
hybrid corn plantations. It is also used on soybeans, cotton, rice, and wheat
among other crops.

Monsanto created and marketed glyphosate as Roundup. After Monsanto’s
patent on glyphosate expired in 2000, many agrochemical companies manufacture
it under different commercial names. Over 700 glyphosate
formulations are used globally.

China
has become the largest glyphosate supplier in the world, with production over
half a million tons, mostly for export.

Implicationsto human health

“Glyphosate is widely used in Asia, often with minimal protection. The
people mostly impacted are farmers, agricultural workers, women and children”
said Sarojeni Rengam from PAN Asia Pacific. “Therefore, the health implications
of carcinogenicity and antibiotic resistance linked to glyphosate are enormous”.

In addition to exposure during pesticide spraying, pesticide storage
creates health hazards. For instance, a 2011 field appraisal on the use of
pesticides in Lao
PDR, PAN Asia Pacific found glyphosate originating from China, in 15 and 30
liter plastic tanks, stored at home in close proximity to cooking and sleeping
facilities. Pesticide shops also sold glyphosate and other pesticides close to
food items.

Governments should take measures to remove this highly hazardous
pesticide from the farming communities.

Increased use of glyphosate
with genetically engineered crops

Monsanto also genetically engineered (GE) soybeans, corn, and cotton
resistant to glyphosate, and multiplied its revenues by selling both GE seed
and glyphosate. Monsanto’s US$15.9 billion annual sales are closely tied to glyphosate.

Because weeds developed resistance to glyphosate, increasing amounts of
the herbicide are applied in combination with old and dangerous herbicides,
such as 2,4-D, which was used as an ingredient of Agent Orange during the
Vietnam War.

Strong global response is
needed

The IARC’s labeling of glyphosate as a probable carcinogen to humans
has sent ripple waves around the world. The United States Environmental
Protection Agency (US EPA), which registers and regulates pesticides for use in
agriculture, has announced that it will require a weed
resistance management plan for glyphosate from Monsanto, which includes
monitoring for weed resistance.

PAN Asia Pacific and PAN International have called
on governments to exercise their political will to protect people and the
environment, and have demanded a plan in the next 60 days to address the use of
highly hazardous pesticides and a way to move forward towards sustainable,
healthy methods of agricultural production.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Once again Cameron Highlands
in Malaysia takes the stage for the dubious honor of being a highly polluted
place. Here, vegetables are grown for export and for internal consumption
across the country and overseas markets, raising concerns about the safety of
the food produced and consumed in Malaysia.

Researchers from University
Kebangsaan Malaysia over a 5-month study, August-December 2014, in Cameron
Highlands of the surface waters of two rivers, Bertam and Terla, and tap water
in the town of Brinchang, have found residues of highly toxic organochlorine pesticides
(OCs). These results were presented at a seminar
with government officials and the general public in Cameron Highlands on March
6, 2015. A local organization, REACH, and Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific
co-hosted the event.

Potential Health Impacts

“The people of Cameron
Highlands have the right to know about poisons present in the water they drink.
Furthermore, consumers in Malaysia must know about pesticide residues found in
their food” said Sarojeni Rengam from PAN Asia Pacific.

The highly toxic pesticide
residues found on surface water and in the drinking water of pipes, sends
alarming signals about the long-term human health impact in Brinchang and other
towns which depend on the same sources for drinking water.

OCs
have affinity for fat tissue and are found in most living organisms. Their
ability to adhere to soil particles and affinity to fat tissue facilitate their
long-range transport across the globe. They are infamous for their presence in
places where they have never been produced nor used. In pristine environments
like the Arctic, even the polar bears have OCs in their bodies, and breastmilk
of indigenous women in Alaska contain OC concentrations that are among the
highest in the world.

OC chemicals are known for
their adverse health impact at low dose of exposure over log periods of time
because they bioaccumulate inside living organisms. They are known endocrine
disruptors, capable of mimicking hormones such as estrogen. In lab animals and
wildlife exposed to OC chemicals, birth defects, behavioral abnormalities,
impaired fertility have been observed in the offspring of parents exposed to
these chemicals, indicating hormonal disruption during prenatal development.

Illegal Pesticides

Most of the pesticide
residues were breakdown products belonging to the insecticides endosulfan,
aldrin, methoxychlor, eldrin, lindane, DDT, and heptachlor oxide, which have
been banned in Malaysia years ago. OC chemicals are persistent and adhere to
soil particles, therefore their presence in water might originate from their leaching
out of the soil. However, the presence of undegraded endosulfan II in water,
suggests application of this insecticide on agricultural fields around a year
ago.

At the meeting in Cameron
Highlands, Mr. Rama from REACH, presented to the press several illegal
pesticides, that ranged from labels in foreign language, repackaged pesticides
sold in bags with poor labeling, and methomyl, an insecticide classified by the
World Health Organization as class 1 because of its high toxicity. Methomyl has
never been registered in Malaysia.

This study only measured OC
pesticides in water. It did not test for the presence of organophophorus
compounds, carbamates, pyrethroids, fungicides, and toxic herbicides, which are
also known to be in high use in Cameron Highlands.

Further Research and Action are needed

The OC findings in Cameron
Highlands’ waters point to the need to obtain more information on the presence
of pesticide residues in water and also on food. This would be an exercise on
the public Right to Know on matters that affect their health and particularly
the development of young children.

Regarding the presence of
illegal toxic pesticides, it calls for urgent action to prevent further
poisoning the environment and endangering human health. Additionally,
monitoring of human health, particularly of agricultural workers and farmers is
needed. Finally, implementing policies to assist farmers to move towards safer ecological
methods in agriculture, free of toxic chemicals, would be crucial to protect
human health and the environment.